St. Erbin of Dumnonia
Feast varies
Patron of
About
Erbin was a king of Dumnonia in fifth-century Wales, ruling the British kingdom that stretched across the West Country at a time when the old Roman order had crumbled and the Saxon advance pressed upon the Britons from the east. Though a sovereign, he is remembered in the Welsh calendars as a saint, one of the many royal figures of the age whose holiness of life and defense of the Christian faith commended them to the veneration of their people.
The Welsh genealogies trace his line among the princes of Britain, and his memory endured in local cultus long after the kingdoms of the Britons had passed. Few details of his life survive, but the tradition that a king could also be a saint speaks to the deep Christian roots of the Celtic peoples.
His feast day is not recorded with certainty, but he is honored among the saints of Wales.
Suggested prayer
O God, who called St. Erbin to rule your people in holiness as king of Dumnonia, grant through his intercession that those in authority may serve with justice and that the faithful of Wales may persevere in your truth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
